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TARAPOTO TO CANELOS in
Several times the men have had to leap into the
water and drag the canoes by hand a good distance
over the shallow bed before finding again sufficient
water to float us. . . .
[Early on April 29 they
reached the much-
desired Andoas, situated on the left bank of the
Pastasa, where they had to engage fresh crews to
take them up the Bombonasa river to Canelos.
The village stands on a low ridge, on each side of
which is a little stream, the mouths of which are
about a quarter of a mile apart. The soil is loamy
and very fertile. Spruce was only able to take one
short walk in the forest during his five days' stay
here, and noted that while the trees seemed mostly
familiar to him, the shrubby and herbaceous plants
were nearly all new. The following rather char-
acteristic incident is noted in the Journal :-
At Andoas it was necessary that some one
should sleep in the canoes, to take care of their
cargoes, and I and Don Ignacio, as being most
interested, undertook to do it, although we must
thus deny ourselves the pleasure of sleeping under
a roof, which the rest of our party took advantage
of. Our salt fish was stowed in the fore-part of the
canoe and covered over with palm-leaves, on which
were laid logs of wood, so that the fish coulc
easily be got at by the dogs who visited the canoe:
every night in a troop. Nevertheless, they found
out some part not so well secured as the rest
they one night introduced their muzzles and gna\\
at the fish, and on the following night I lay
until I heard them at work, and then seizec
and rushed out of the cabin ;
but the)
quickly for me and disappeared over the top